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Social media marketing holds a special allure for startups. It is
the best vehicle, ever, for propelling your new business forward
fast and gaining momentum you can build on. However, social media
has to be done right. To execute properly, you have to begin
strong, know what to do and what to avoid.

As a newcomer, you get only one chance to make a good first
impression with folks on social media. If you lose that chance
you’re going to fall behind and stragglers have to work twice as
hard to cover lost ground on social sites. So know these cardinal
sins that you must never commit, because if you do then it’s a
quick descent to the purgatory of social media irrelevance.

1. You don’t have to be everywhere. Yes, the
temptation is strong. The perception is every social media site
is a fertile hunting ground for prospects and if you don't get
them, somebody else will.

It is not easy to come up with original and relevant content for
many different social networks. It results in a poor
foundation for the whole social media marketing process. For
starters, only choose the networks that have the most targeted
prospects and the largest audiences. As you expand sales and
build your team, you can experiment with other networks but, out
of the gate, you must focus on quality over quantity.

2. Don’t be that guy. Extensive promotions
without audience engagement is akin to social media suicide.
Self-promotion is fine but finer still is a balance between
interesting content and engagement, on one hand, and marketing on
the other. Follow the 80/20 rule. Getting the balance wrong has
put many a startup on the one-way road to social media oblivion.
Creative marketing will get you audience and accolades.
Old-fashioned one-way advertising derived from an offline
marketing mindset will only hurt your business.

3. Failing to plan is planning to fail. If
people don’t trust you or know about you, it won’t matter how
great your product or service is. Stop expecting to go viral and
have people flock to your business by the thousands unless you
create a buzz and let people know you’re there.

Cross-pollination of content, quizzes, polls and videos will
help, but you need to establish a posting schedule and follow it.
Your audience will get used to your presence and know that you
engage. Your objective might be be leads, brand recognition
or sales but plan with it in mind.

Clear objectives simplify planning and execution, as well as
enabling you to measure results and track ROI. Hope is not a
strategy, not with social media or any other form of
marketing.

4. Boring content is
counterproductive. Talk with the audience, don’t
talk to them. Don’t barge into timelines with dull opening lines.
Make an impressive entry with humor, an intelligent response, a
genuine question, etc. Infuse your personality into your posts.

Crack these and you’re on your way to selling without
selling.Your objective is to attract eyeballs and stimulate
engagement, so don't bore people. Be careful that you are
not turning people off without even knowing that you are
doing it.

5. Stay enthusiastic. Many startups have
lost steam after a strong start, sometimes out of laziness and
lack of focus but very often because of impatience. A social
media program is more a marathon than a sprint. Tweak performance
by measuring metrics, tracking competition and adapting to what
your audience is telling you with their behavior. If your
enthusiasm fades, the momentum wil tail off.

Know your audience and be prepared to put in effort. Not everyone
has a natural wit with a flair for language. Work on these
things. There is every chance you’ll find yourself coming up with
cool stuff that shows your audience you care. It’s an enjoyable
thing to do. Enjoy it.